JC Penney Chest

[Boxerrider]

Can anybody give me the maker of this JC Penney set?

Both ends of the roller have peg-hole cubbies.

The cabinet color is kind of a silvery-blue, and the drawers are crinkle black with red plastic over the pulls. The top box has plastic inserts on the sides, which seem out of place on what is otherwise a pretty sturdy unit.

Seems like a decent box, MBC maybe? I haven't found any other markings other than the JC Penney badges, but I haven't been into it much either. The position of the locks seems uncommon.

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[Boxerrider]

I dug in this a little more this morning. 29" overall width. The top box is a little rusty but should clean up and function fine. Here is a picture of the guides.

There is an extra cabinet-side guide that makes it look like a six-drawer version of the same top box would have been available.

I found an ink stamp in the bottom of the top box.

 

[Draccip]

Did you just acquire this box? If so, great find. I have been scouring the web on JCPenney boxes and there just isn't much info out there. Please keep us updated if you find any further information. Thanks for posting.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Can anybody give me the maker of this JC Penney set?

Both ends of the roller have peg-hole cubbies.

The cabinet color is kind of a silvery-blue, and the drawers are crinkle black with red plastic over the pulls. The top box has plastic inserts on the sides, which seem out of place on what is otherwise a pretty sturdy unit.

Seems like a decent box, MBC maybe? I haven't found any other markings other than the JC Penney badges, but I haven't been into it much either. The position of the locks seems uncommon.

Thanks!
Jeff

The 1972-1973 JC Penney rollaway I have was confirmed by Kennedy to be made by them. I had to send them photos and they had a veteran employee ID it.

I know it's a Penney unit as I know the house it came from (although I got it curbside). I was admiring it from afar in the neighbor's garage and said, "geez, looks like an old Craftsman, would love to have it one day". Fast forward to a few years later, the older neighbor dies and his grandson is rolling it to the curb! I put the brakes on and told the kid, "Leave that right there, I'll take it". He says, "Want help rolling it?" I said, "Nah, I'm good, it's only going around the corner". His grandfather worked at Penney's locally here, so I know it came from there.

Nice unit for $0. .

 

[Boxerrider]

I picked it up last Monday. $75 and it had a couple handfuls of Craftsman wrenches and sockets in it.
Any JC Penney boxes I've found pictures of look very much like rebranded Kennedys, and I haven't found a Kennedy box that looks like this. It is a heavy, sturdy box, and will fit my needs well - cheap place to keep router and shaper stuff organized.

 

[Draccip]

I picked it up last Monday. $75 and it had a couple handfuls of Craftsman wrenches and sockets in it.
Any JC Penney boxes I've found pictures of look very much like rebranded Kennedys, and I haven't found a Kennedy box that looks like this. It is a heavy, sturdy box, and will fit my needs well - cheap place to keep router and shaper stuff organized.

Yes, I bought mine in the late 70's and I have say that as far as durability, it has served me well through the years. And it just wasn't sitting against the wall, I wrenched for over 30 years and would roll it around to whatever job I was doing for the customer. Thousands of jobs this old girl has seen. I'll never get rid of her, she'll be with me till the end.

 

[Tink]

Did you look at the locks? My JC Penny box like the black one pictured has Kennedy locks.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Did you look at the locks? My JC Penny box like the black one pictured has Kennedy locks.

If you mean my box, be careful. I changed that lock from the original (since the keys weren't with it at the curb). I actually wound up putting in a lock from a Husky tool chest that I had.

In 2002, I had bought a floor model Husky top and bottom cabinet and it was missing a lock and the keys. Back then, Stanley Works of Canada made the Husky units. I simply called the number on the top drawer and they sent me a lock to match the missing one AND the same key code so the top and bottom would be the same.

Sadly, they are long gone in the sense that Husky units don't come from Canada, nor Stanley Works. The Husky is a solid unit, and me being a Craftsman guy, I'd go as far to say better than a Craftsman of the same era.

 

[zkling]

That is really a strange box setup.

 

[Tink]

If you mean my box, be careful. I changed that lock from the original (since the keys weren't with it at the curb). I actually wound up putting in a lock from a Husky tool chest that I had.

In 2002, I had bought a floor model Husky top and bottom cabinet and it was missing a lock and the keys. Back then, Stanley Works of Canada made the Husky units. I simply called the number on the top drawer and they sent me a lock to match the missing one AND the same key code so the top and bottom would be the same.

Sadly, they are long gone in the sense that Husky units don't come from Canada, nor Stanley Works. The Husky is a solid unit, and me being a Craftsman guy, I'd go as far to say better than a Craftsman of the same era.

Yes, I was taking about your box. I was thinking the locks had Kennedy stamped on them but I just checked and they dont. The original keys have Kennedy on them.

 

[Boxerrider]

I agree that it's a strange arrangement, and I bet that's why there aren't more like it. Every time you wanted something from a side cubby you would have to unlock it to open the door, and on one side even lean under a shelf.
I didn't get any keys. Somebody had tried to drill one of the locks and broke a bit off in it. I cut that one apart and you can see the cylinder here - no letters or numbers.

Here's the front of one. All of the locks have a code on front - MM and a three digit number. I matched that to Hudson locks. I plan to order a replacement cylinder and keys, and I guess I'll find out then if they really are Hudson's or not!

Here's the profile of a drawer. The pulls are not attached, but formed as part of the drawer front and then the red plastic trim slid on.

As I get it cleaned up I'll post more pictures of the inside to see if anything provides a definitive answer. I think I'll pull the riser out - I don't need that area, and I'm not tall enough to see into the top very well with it in place!

 

[Hammer1963]

Awesome piece of J.C Penny history! I have seen some J.C Penny wrenches but that is the first box and it's freakin cool! Can't wait to see the updates .....

 

[Boxerrider]

I got back to this some today. As purchased the whole stack is 5' 7". Since I'm 5' 8" the top section would be pretty difficult for me to find anything in. I figured that space was more useful to me than the intermediate cubby, so I decided to take the middle section out. It bolts to the top box, and the nuts are behind the plastic filler plates. A little prying and they pop right out. Again, these things seem really out of place on this otherwise sturdy box.

This is what the back looks like.

Here is the side with the locks - they rotate in to trap the doors and lid.

The drawers only lock on that side. The part that locks the lid pushes this rod over so it locks on both sides.

While the drawers were all out of the top I cleaned and waxed the guides. Still have the bottom ones to do.

Enjoy!
Jeff

 

[Ponchoguy]

Yes, I was taking about your box. I was thinking the locks had Kennedy stamped on them but I just checked and they dont. The original keys have Kennedy on them.

The Husky ones (back when I rekeyed these) are "N54G" style blanks. Think like a blank for an old time screen door, probably an Ilco, Curtis and the like.

 

[Boxerrider]

I finally got stuff ordered for this and took the time to deal with it.
The Hudson keys for the top and bottom work just right. I got two, keyed-alike 5/8" cam locks - one to replace the door I cut the lock out of and the other so both doors would match. They're Hudson/ESP and the bezel matches the others.

Success!

 

[Rileysan]

I finally got stuff ordered for this and took the time to deal with it.
The Hudson keys for the top and bottom work just right. I got two, keyed-alike 5/8" cam locks - one to replace the door I cut the lock out of and the other so both doors would match. They're Hudson/ESP and the bezel matches the others.

Success!

Excellent! Be sure to post more pictures. I look forward to learning more about these boxes!

Brian

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

The drawer slides look just like Kennedy.. maybe others?

 

[bobcatdan]

The 1972-1973 JC Penney rollaway I have was confirmed by Kennedy to be made by them. I had to send them photos and they had a veteran employee ID it.

I know it's a Penney unit as I know the house it came from (although I got it curbside). I was admiring it from afar in the neighbor's garage and said, "geez, looks like an old Craftsman, would love to have it one day". Fast forward to a few years later, the older neighbor dies and his grandson is rolling it to the curb! I put the brakes on and told the kid, "Leave that right there, I'll take it". He says, "Want help rolling it?" I said, "Nah, I'm good, it's only going around the corner". His grandfather worked at Penney's locally here, so I know it came from there.

Nice unit for $0. .

Your box is about as obvious Kennedy as it can get. As for the OP's box, my first guess is Kennedy because of the riser between the top and bottom. However, I don't know for sure.